How to insert and delete rows, columns, and cells

Spreadsheets organize and manipulate data. Whether you’re keeping track of your small business’s expenses, cataloging your Warhammer 40,000 collection, or comparing the best Android tablets of 2022, spreadsheets get the job done. And if you’re an Android user, your spreadsheet of choice is probably Google Sheets.

But dates change. Sometimes you need to add data and sometimes you need to delete data. Sometimes organizing your data means deleting a row of cells or inserting a column. These changes can be managed and implemented with a few clicks or taps.

Add cells to your table

Let’s say you’re a coin collector and you carefully organize your collection in Google Sheets. Only you forgot to add a column to track how much you paid. And you don’t want it at the end of your table. Instead you want it between two columns. In the browser there are two ways to do this

Insert Column

1. Highlight the column (or an individual cell in the column) after which you want to insert the new data.

2. After highlighting the data, right-click the cells. Or hover over the column header and click the down arrow icon.
3. Select from the menu Insert 1 column on the right.

The data to the right of the highlighted column is shifted one cell to the right to make room for the new column. You can also choose Insert 1 column left to move the selected column and everything to the right of it one cell to the right.

insert line

In this coin collecting scenario, you may want to add a row to your spreadsheet to make room for a new coin. The process of inserting rows is similar to inserting columns.

1. Select the row (or individual cell in the row) before or after which you want to insert new cells.

2. Right-click on the selected cells.
3. Choose Insert 1 line above or Insert 1 line belowas required.

Insert a single cell

You may also want to insert a single cell, and the process is similar, except you can only insert the new cell below or to the right of your selected cell.

1. Select the cell below or after which you want to insert another cell.

2. Right-click the selected cell.
3. Hover over it Insert Cells.
4. Choose either Insert cells and move them to the right or Insert cells and move down.

Don’t like right-click? After highlighting a row, column, or cell, click on it insertion from the top menu and then select what you need to do from the drop down menu.

Insert multiple rows, columns, or cells

When using the web app, you can insert multiple rows, columns, or cells at once. The steps are the same except you highlight the number of rows, columns or cells you want to insert. After that, choose the side of your selection where you want to paste the new cells.

It is also possible to insert rows by scrolling to the last row in the table. Go to the bottom of the window to find a button and input box to add any number of rows at the bottom of the sheet. The default number of rows in a Google Sheet is 1,000, so this isn’t a feature you’re likely to use too often.

Insert rows and columns in the mobile app

If you’re mobile, the process is largely the same:

1. Select the row, column, or cell you want to insert cells before or after.
2. Tap the + Button.
3. Select the side of the data where you want the new cells to be inserted.

Delete rows, columns and cells

Deleting rows, columns and cells in the browser follows the same procedure as inserting:

1. Mark the data you want to delete.
2. Right-click on the highlighted data.
3. Choose delete a line, Delete Columnor delete cell.

Likewise, you can use the menu similar to inserting cells.

1. Mark the data you want to delete.
2. click To edit from the top menu.
3. Hover over it Extinguish.
4. Choose The line, Splitor cells.

The difference is that when rows or columns are deleted, the existing cells are automatically shifted up or left respectively. When deleting cells, you can choose to move your data up or left.

Clear data on the mobile app

If you’re mobile, you can’t delete and move a single cell or group of cells, but you can delete rows or columns.

1. Highlight the row or column to be deleted.
2. Tap anywhere in the selected area.
3. From the pop-up menu, select the three-dot overflow menu on the right.
4. Beat Extinguish.

Deleting a row moves the bottom cells up. Deleting a column moves cells to the right of the deleted column to the left.

Delete data from cells

You may not want to move your non-deleted cells. If you want to empty the information cells without shifting, there are several ways to do it. The quickest way is to highlight the information you want to delete and press Extinguish on your keyboard. You can also do this via a right-click context menu.

1. Highlight the row or column to delete (this method cannot be used with cells).
2. Right-click on the highlighted content.
3. Choose delete a line or Delete Column.

You can also achieve the same by using the menu at the top of the screen.

1. Highlight the content you want to delete (row, column, or cells).
2. click To edit from the top menu.
3. Hover over it in the drop-down menu Extinguish.
4. Choose Values.

Clear data from rows or columns on mobile devices

If you want to delete rows or columns without moving other cells on mobile, the process is similar to delete and move.

1. Highlight the row or column to be deleted.
2. Tap on the highlighted content.
3. Select from the pop-up menu Clear.

If you’re not deleting an entire row or column, just a cell, you’ll need to tap the three-dot overflow menu to access that Clear Command.

Lock your data

Congratulations! You are now a master of cell manipulation in Google Sheets. There may be times when you want to make sure that nobody can edit or delete your numbers (or prevent you from accidentally deleting them). If so, learn how to lock cells in Google Sheets.